Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest
by Scott Moore · The Cerbat GemEquifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX – Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 5,471,914 shares, an increase of 15.0% from the March 31st total of 4,759,498 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,610,938 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.4 days. Approximately 4.6% of the company’s shares are short sold.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Equifax from $245.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of Equifax in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $222.00 price target on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price target on shares of Equifax from $210.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Argus raised shares of Equifax to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Equifax from $240.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Equifax has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $228.88.
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Insider Activity
In other news, EVP John W. Gamble, Jr. sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.72, for a total value of $880,740.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 58,921 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,532,018.12. This represents a 7.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 37,791 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.40, for a total transaction of $6,515,168.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 271,730 shares in the company, valued at approximately $46,846,252. This represents a 12.21% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 87,462 shares of company stock valued at $16,475,349. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EFX. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. bought a new position in Equifax during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. grew its holdings in Equifax by 612.5% during the 4th quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 114 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Reflection Asset Management bought a new position in Equifax during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Equifax in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Equifax in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. 96.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Equifax Trading Down 0.0%
EFX stock opened at $173.92 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $20.71 billion, a PE ratio of 30.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.56. Equifax has a 12 month low of $166.02 and a 12 month high of $281.03. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $186.72 and its 200 day moving average is $203.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.61 and a quick ratio of 0.61.
Equifax (NYSE:EFX – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The credit services provider reported $1.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.69 by $0.17. Equifax had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 20.41%. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.61 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.53 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 14.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equifax has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.250 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.340-8.740 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Equifax will post 8.58 EPS for the current year.
Equifax Increases Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were issued a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. This is a positive change from Equifax’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.44%.
Equifax Company Profile
Equifax Inc (NYSE: EFX) is a global data, analytics and technology company that specializes in consumer and commercial credit reporting, decisioning tools and identity solutions. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax is one of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies in the United States and provides credit information and related services to lenders, employers, governments and consumers worldwide.
The company’s offerings include consumer credit reports and scores, credit monitoring and identity protection services, and a range of business-oriented products for risk management, fraud detection and compliance.